Perfect World - Ocean's Rage
by Hanashyma
Summary: The war against the wraiths escalates, and the Earthguard and Nightshade are called upon to send their armies to aid in the battles. Meanwhile, a terribly pampered young Tideborn woman, daughter to a very wealthy noble family, runs away from home to join the armies and swiftly discovers that she is very much so in over her head. Luckily, helping hands are plentiful.
1. Chapter 1

The beautiful lands of the Celestial Vale stretched out before her eyes. Kagura took a deep breath, warding off the unpleasant sensation of the teleport spell. Her lungs sang with the inherent magic in the air when she released it and her lips curved upward in a pleased smile.

It was a difficult matter to get into the realm, as it was used only for training rookies for the war against the wraiths. Even so, she could tell all the trouble had been worth it. The humiliation of being grouped together with young, inexperienced warriors and mages was nothing compared to what she could sense in the air. It was so different to the old, stale magic of Perfect World that she had been so used to. The most powerful of ancient spells found peppered around some of the older dungeons paled in comparison.

Exerting her control over the earth, she felt for the ground's leylines – lines connecting anchors of magic deep beneath the surface that formed an intricate web spanning the entirety of the land they belonged to. In Perfect World, the leylines often dimmed to near non-existent levels if you were in an area far from any big magic sources, such as old dungeons or large cities, with nodes of power spread so far apart. Here, she needed to but lightly tap the leylines for them to suddenly come to life, lighting up to distances she had never been able to see to before. It made her giddy with surprise and joy, so much so that she nearly jumped and giggled. It would have been undignified for her as a senior wizard, however, so she caught herself before she could do something that silly.

A quick glance around her told her that the rookies were being gathered up and sent to their respective guides. _Well, that's fine,_ she thought. _I'm not going to stick around much longer anyway._ She walked away from the commotion, heading for the main square in a gait that conveyed 'd learned a very long time ago that no one would question you if you looked like you belonged. A nervous look would garner suspicion, which would in turn lead to questioning.

Her pataka was slung firmly over her back and she reached out to run her fingers over it, relishing the sensation of power that came with it. Silence of Frost was a good weapon, and even though she was much more comfortable casting with only her hands, having a stick to hit someone with as a last resort was a very good thing to have.

After having seen some of the weapons the rookies were bringing, she hadn't bothered to shroud her own, seeing as it was far from the fanciest or flashiest around. The same did not apply to her own characteristics, as the look of a new, untested warrior was not one she pulled off very efficiently. Several centuries of experience tended to do that. That was why she now looked around ten years younger than usual, with straw-coloured hair and a sun-burnt face. Last she checked, that was the general look of female children in and around Etherblade city. Then again, that had been around ten years ago…

Kagura snuck a glance at the people milling around the streets. No one looked at her, going along with their daily lives, so she allowed herself to relax just a bit.

 _The disguise is sufficient enough, then. Good._

She picked a direction and started walking, following the leylines rather than relying on only her eyes. With the amount of magic she could feel around her, she heavily doubted that anyone would notice some of it going missing, and even if they did, she'd most certainly not care for their opinion.

Her path led her past a main square, which was dominated by a large circle made of what looked to be granite. Outlining it were statues of dramatically posed people, two of every race. She paid little attention to the stonework, however, because the edge of the settlement was in view ahead, tempting her with limitless possibilities.

Kagura paid no attention to the people on the city outskirts until a man grabbed onto her hand, twisting her around. She recovered from the surprise quickly enough, suppressing her urge to burn something human-shaped and close-by with some regret. She sent him a look that could freeze water, perfected with centuries of experience.

"I'm fairly sure that no beginner wizard would have the prowess to wield Silence of Frost." His tone was flat, the words having no inflection. His face showed no emotion, no indication that the glare had any effect. Kagura was rather impressed.

"Similarly, I have not seen an invitation to any of the more powerful beings in your world. Pray tell, what is it that you want from here?"

 _By the left testicle of Pan Gu, he actually noticed Silence of Frost._

Kagura mulled over the situation she'd landed in. Continuing the charade she was playing would be difficult at best, impossible at worst. Even if she managed to convince this man that she was just another new arrival, mesmerised by the beauty of the landscape, she'd just be placed back with the rookies for training and what not. Patient she was, but not patient enough for that. If she failed at convincing him, then a fight was almost guaranteed. Not that she thought that there was anyone here to really stand in her way, but the little annoyance of having to potentially kill everyone in this realm was a bit too much.

With options ranging from bad to worse, she picked the one that would do the least damage at that moment and simply remained silent.

"Not only that, but your posture belongs to that of a seasoned veteran of war. No honourable warrior would sneak into another's home, never mind lie to it's inhabitants."

His words ignited a spark of anger inside Kagura, but she suppressed it with practiced ease. _Honour? The thing that got people killed?_

A wizard's emotions were dangerous indeed, so she kept a carefully neutral face while she thought. Whoever this man was, she already knew that he could see right through the disguise she'd woven around herself. Impressive in it's own right. And if he could see right through it, then why would she need to keep it up any longer?

With that reasoning, she allowed her illusion to drop, focusing on the man's face as she did so.

Upon seeing this changed appearance, the man's eyes widened imperceptively. Kagura, having lived for more than long enough to have learned every trick in the book and then some, noticed the change in his expression and quirked her eyebrow slightly to show her surprise.

"You seem to know me."

"Kagura Yamasama." _Well, by Pan Gu's beard. He does know me. I wonder how?_ "You would steal into the Celestial Vale."

"Well, you appear to know me, so you must know something more about me than just my face and name. Is it so unacceptable for me, then, to have come here out of sheer curiosity?"

He swallowed uncertainly, and that lapse in the cold, detached mask of his made Kagura push forward, ready to use any ground he gave her.

"It would appear that I am famous even here. Tell me, why was it forbidden for any but the newest of warriors to enter?"

The man's eyes flicked up towards the main square, where the recruits were starting to gather together. Villagers fussed around them, giving out armour sets and weapons. A steady stream of chatter came from the group, too far to make out individual words but close enough to hear.

„This place is our home. Do you think that it would continue to be so if everyone was permitted entry?"

Some of his former strength returned as he visibly pulled himself back together. Kagura watched as he straightened, some resemblance of his conjured mask reforming on his face.

"I'm afraid I must bring this up with the elders. This is transgression at the highest level."

 _Really?_ Kagura had explored some of the most dangerous places in Perfect World and not only come out alive, but thoroughly looted the places of all useful magic. She triumphed where others fell, and if she had to dodge attacks all throughout the Celestial Vale, wherever she went, then that was what she would do.

However, as she had prepared to Distance Shrink, she could suddenly feel something deep in her connection to the earth. There was something in the forest, further from the village than she'd bothered to extend her senses to. It had no direct connection to the earth, but it warped and twisted the leylines and magic around it nonetheless. It felt deeply wrong, even to her.

"There is something in the forest." Kagura kept her tone even. "Deeper inside in that direction. It feels like a Wraith, and a strong one at that."

The man paled and looked in the same direction. His mask shattered as he grabbed for a crystal from his robes with frantic motions, face twisted with worry, but Kagura found no joy in seeing it. In all her 400 years of living, the only time she had come across such a presence was a very long time ago.

That was the one time she hadn't triumphed. Merely survived.

And yet, when she examined the presence closer, she found glaring differences. The thing in the forest felt much less menacing, for lack of a better description. It didn't so much exude the power it itself had as it couldn't control the power it had gotten all of a sudden. That meant that, at least from what she could gather from all the way away from the thing, it was simply a powerful being who had been corrupted by the soul-bending power of the Wraiths, lending it excess amounts of magic to release into the surroundings.

Next to her, the man was busy staring into the crystal. He flinched when its bluish-green colour turned an angry red. Gaze contemplative, he looked once more to the rookies, before seemingly making up his mind.

"Follow me." He placed a hand on Kagura's shoulder, withdrawing it when she turned her head to look at him.

"My name is Sekron Shien. I am one of the scribes of this city." He explained as he led Kagura through the square. "When we opened the connection between our world and yours, a dark presence leaked through. We managed to contain it, but even now with every travel more comes into our lands. It's twisting the wildlife."

"That thing in the forest is more than simple wildlife. There's something more going on here."

Sekron stopped and turned to her, face pensive.

"Our world contains what are known as spiritual beasts. They are extremely strong beings who have protected us since the beginning of our existence. They are the reason the Vale is known as a peaceful place. They protect us from any and all threats. I believe that now, one of them may have become corrupted."

Sekron looked past her and Kagura turned as well, looking at the youngsters scattered around the perimeter.

 _If I manage to play this off of pity and a big desire to help, I should be able to get further into these lands. They obviously need my help, and that's my initial ticket in._

With that, she deftly moulded her face into a worried expression.

"I believe I can be of assistance then."

Sekron quirked an eyebrow, but said nothing. He looked at the people in the square for a few seconds longer before answering.

"I suppose so." He pulled the red crystal from his robe. "Go and try to find traces of the spiritual beast outside the city. This should help you track it."

Kagura took the stone, glancing at it briefly before depositing it in her pouch. She didn't bother to tell him that she already had a much better way to track these so-called "beasts". The crystal could be useful in some way.

"What is it called?"

"I believe it could be the Flameflow Butterfly. Just don't engage it yet. I have a theory about it and this entire situation, but I need to know what's going on first."

Kagura looked him directly in the eyes. She could see the realisation bloom on the man's face – that his world was slowly crumbling and he knew he alone could do nothing. He needed her help. They both knew it. She smiled pleasantly. _I can definitely work with this._

* * *

The forest was silent. No wind rustled through the trees, no birds chirped, no animals moved through the canopy. It was slightly unsettling, even for Kagura. Wraith-infested woodlands were full of noises made by the corrupted wildlife. Here, there was only a pensive quiet.

It was remarkably easy to find the spiritual animal, considering its effect on the leylines. It was a simple matter of following the path laid out for her through the trees. After around ten minutes of walking the trees opened up into a large clearing. A large pool of water shone with magic in the centre of the area, and above that fluttered a massive burning butterfly. From beneath the flames she could faintly make out the darkened aura of Wraith corruption.

This close, Kagura felt slightly lightheaded from the warped space this being was surrounded by. She reluctantly pulled her magic back from the ground around her. The effect was minimal, a slight distraction rather than an actual annoyance, but anything could throw one off at the most inopportune times in battle. Better to take no chances.

 _Oh, right. What had Sekron said? Don't engage the spiritual beast?_

A predatory grin spread across her lips as she tracked the butterfly's movements with her gaze.

Slowly, not once taking her eyes off the butterfly, Kagura stretched her hand behind her back and pulled her pataka out. Its reassuring weight easily complimented the surge of power that ran through her spine.

 _You know what? I never was very good at following orders._

Flames meant fire, so water was sure to at the very least put a dent in it. Holding Silence of Frost in one hand, Kagura started charging up a Hailstorm. Radiant blue light accompanied the spell, illuminating her surroundings and revealing her position. The butterfly turned towards her, spreading its wings wide upon noticing a perceived threat. However, before it even had a chance to make a sound, it got a faceful of ice for its troubles. Kagura didn't stop there, though. Before the spell had even hit, she fired off a Gush and followed closely with a Glacial Snare, watching with satisfaction as the blades of ice hit home.

For a moment there was silence. Then, the Flameflow Butterfly burst out of the haze of mana and emitted a high screech.

Kagura stood and stared. Even when the spiritual beast turned its full attention on her and began its advance, she did not move. Only when it was close enough that she could already feel the heat of the flames coating it did she pull a cover of water over her, swiftly dodging to the side and running around the side of the pool.

 _That combination has not failed to kill in at least two decades._ The grin was back full force as she threw two Gushes at the chasing butterfly, stopping just to swing her weapon in a large arc to toss another Glacial Snare at it.

 _I like this place all the more already._

Kagura jumped into the pool, commanding the water to boost her forward. Behind her, the beast screeched again, throwing a blast of fire at the woman. She noticed it far too late, and the projectile hit her square in the back, throwing her into the pool. She did not resurface.

The butterfly waited to see if its prey would reappear. When it became clear that the threat had been eliminated, it moved back to the edge of the pool to continue its' patrol route.

The water in the pool violently burst outward, reforming some inches above the bottom into the shape of a woman. One of the creation's hands shot out and grabbed onto the retreating butterfly. With an indignant squawk, it attempted to burn away the offender, only to find that the flames covering its body had been extinguished.

Kagura stepped out of the now-dry pool, absentmindedly smoothing out her burnt robe. She smiled at the butterfly.

"Well, this has really been fun. Mind you, I do not have all day to play with you, so I'm afraid that we'll have to cut this short." She motioned to the water statue. While it tightened it's grasp around the spiritual beast, she paused in her damage assessment to look back at the butterfly.

"Thank you, though. I know now that I need not hold back with anything in this realm. A reality check really was necessary. Dear me, I've gotten sloppy…"

She continued looking over her robe thoughtfully as the water statue she had conjured killed the beast. The armour was burnt rather badly in the back, but she had little doubt that a blacksmith would be able to fix it. With magical armour, it was oftentimes the case of it simply needing some encouragement before it pulled itself back together. It was a good thing that she'd been pushed in the water, though, as it had lent itself to faster healing. Not that something as basic as a fireball could kill her, but burns on her back would have been a nuisance all around.

It was because she was checking over her clothes that she noticed the red glow from one of the pouches on her belt. Within, she found the crystal that Sekron had given her earlier. It was pulsing with a warm red glow. Kagura looked closer, observing the differences in the crystal, when she noticed a repeating pattern. A pattern that, to a discerning eye, looked like fluttering wings.

Kagura glanced over to where her conjured water elemental towered, its now empty hands hanging lifelessly by its sides. Her brow furrowed slightly. With a small flick of will, the water fell back into the pool, leaving Kagura alone with her thoughts.

* * *

When she Distance Shrunk back into the city a few minutes later, what met her was total pandemonium. People were running to and fro, some with books and sheets of paper held tightly against their chests, others half-way in suits of armour. She stared for a moment before dismissing the crowd as a bunch of morons and walking straight to the blacksmith to her left. A quick fabricated explanation and a swift repair later, she was once again fully clothed and on her way to Sekron.

She found him in the town square, talking with an old man in hushed tones. Both fell silent when she neared, with Sekron taking a few steps forward to meet her.

"I thought I specifically told you not to engage the Flameflow Butterfly."

 _Well, wraithcurse. Here we go again._

Kagura prepared herself for yet another lecture, carefully keeping her face free of the sheer boredom she felt now that any fighting seemed to be in the rather distant future, when the older man stepped forward as well, placing a placating hand on Sekron's shoulder.

"Now, now. Don't chew out the lady who managed to take down a spiritual beast. Could be bad for your health, boy."

He turned to Kagura, smiling.

"Thank you, miss. That's one problem less for us to worry about."

Kagura quietly released the breath she had been holding. She flashed him one of her more charming smiles.

"It's always nice to hear praise, even in my field. Pray tell, I do not believe we have met?"

"I am the Senior Scribe around these parts. No one has used my name for a long time by now, anyway. Old man should do for you, hm?"

Kagura laughed, making sure to keep it short so as not to risk insulting the man.

"Well, old man, my name is Kagura. Kagura Yamasama. Nice to meet you."

The scribe's eyes widened, flashing to Sekron for just a moment. Kagura followed his gaze and found that Sekron suddenly looked incredibly uncomfortable, shuffling his feet and making every effort to look anywhere else but at her. Her smile grew even bigger and much more genuine.

 _Interesting._

"Why, Kagura Yamasama! I must say that it is the greatest honour to have you here in our modest little realm. Tell me, did young Sekron here give you much trouble?"

Again, Kagura looked at Sekron. He noticed her staring and mouthed a silent _please, don't tell him anything_ at her. She smiled politely.

"Oh, not at all. A stranger in one's home must make one angry, but he was a real gentleman, I assure you."

The scribe nodded, looking pleased. He motioned for her to follow and led them to a table some ways away. Sitting down, he levelled a stern glare at them both.

"Now then, on to business. I trust you still have the crystal Sekron gave you?"

Kagura fetched the crystal from her pouch, handing it off. The old man studied it carefully while Kagura and Sekron waited. She took to following the movements of two butterflies that fluttered around one of the statues. When she turned her attention to the statue itself, she noticed that it was that of a female wizard. Her mouth quirked into a smug smile.

Sekron came up next to her. She could tell he was looking at the statue as well.

"You know, you're kind of a legend around here."

Kagura turned her head to look at him, raising an eyebrow to show her interest.

"You see, in the Celestial Vale, we look over Perfect World in a sense. We send out help to adventurers in need with a small power boost. Nothing too big, but just enough for it to be commonly attributed to an adrenaline rush. As such, we tend to know of certain heroes rather well. And you have been one of the biggest news around here for a long time. You've never really needed help from us, so..."

The eyebrow was joined by the corner of her mouth, which rose in an amused grin. Sekron noticed and backtracked hastily.

"I don't mean- It simply gets boring around here with nothing to do, so people bet on heroes like you. Gives us something to do."

Kagura's expression did not change in the slightest. If anything, it grew in intensity. Sekron visibly shrunk under her gaze.

"…What?"

Kagura smiled even wider and turned her attention back to the statue. After a few seconds, she mentioned, quietly enough so that only he could hear:

"I didn't actually know that. Good to know that someone looks out for all of the less-than-capable people stumbling around dungeons these days."

As Sekron looked rather pleased, she turned back to the scribe, who was looking deeply into the crystal. _Good thing I chose not to make a joke about people staring in from windows at someone getting dressed._ The thought got a chuckle out of her.

"So tell me, old man, what have you found?"

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he turned the crystal this way and that, as if mulling over some sort of difficult problem. Then, he placed it down on the table.

"As far as I can tell, the soul of the Flameflow Butterfly has been completely absorbed by the crystal. It is protected from the darkening influence of the Wraiths, at least for now."

„I had gleaned that much from my own studies. Tell me, what about the other spiritual beasts? As far as I understand, there are more."

That earned her a thoughtful look.

"I suppose that all of the others must have already been similarly corrupted. I have not heard from any of the other cities, but that's hardly a surprise, if I'm honest. However, we cannot send any of our own people to hunt them down and capture their souls, as we are most certainly not equipped for such a quest. We're supposed to be a safe haven for young warriors to mature in. There was no war here before, so we have no warriors, at least not in this village. To send one of the young ones would mean death for them. I don't think we could ever recover our reputation from that, not to mention our pride."

Sekron, having recovered from his earlier embarrassment, piped in:

"We could always send Kagura again. She can handle herself, as we have already learned."

The scribe huffed, but cast a glance towards Kagura.

"If that is what you need. I would not mind helping. For the rookies."

* * *

Kagura walked down the forest path, a merry skip in her step. When the Flameflow Butterfly had been killed, life had returned to the forest. Birds chirped in the trees, tiny butterflies fluttered in the air and she could hear wild animals just outside of her vision range, living their own lives. Everything was as it should have been.

She felt pleased with her progress. Now that a threat had arisen, the old man and Sekron had sent her on a quest that would take her deeper into these uncharted lands, with no one even mentioning kicking her out. As an additional bonus, she'd be able to cut loose on the beasts, as proven by the encounter with the Flameflow Butterfly. There were some spells in her arsenal that had been waiting a long time to be used, and she was at the very least a tiny bit grateful for the opportunity to do so.

The crystal which held the Flameflow Butterfly's soul was in her pouch. The scribe had given it to her to capture the souls of the other spiritual beasts. She felt the thrum of power from within it. It seemed to bolster her energy reserves. The fact that she could even feel the effect indicated it was at the very least a massive source of mana, as her own reserves were at this point nearly infinite. And all that was with but one spiritual beast contained inside. It made her rather reluctant to have to part with it as she knew she'd have to by the end of this fetch quest.

„I'm glad to see the forest revitalized. I hadn't even noticed how quiet it had been until now."

 _Ah, yes._ Sekron walked a few steps behind Kagura. She attempted not to roll her eyes for what had to have been the hundredth time that day, but the battle was lost almost immediately.

Kagura Yamasama, the Witch of the Harshlands, Conqueror of the Twilight Temple, the Shining Star of Etherblade, along with several more titles, each more impressive than the last, had been assigned a babysitter.

The old man had sent her to the next town over, called Lorreway City, to see a woman called Heartmark. What had initially amused her was the way the two men sent each other a look right before Sekron declared that he would be coming with her as a guide, as if she was a blind infant. She hadn't protested back then, taking it all for a laugh. Now, though, she wondered if she'd even make it to Lorreway before she did something she could not undo.

In her infinite boredom, Kagura sent out her mind along the leylines, intending to map out more of the world while she was already doing nothing anyway, and nearly fell over when they distorted all around her. As it was, she merely stumbled and caught herself before anything further could happen. The feeling was nearly identical to the effect the Flameflow Butterfly had had on her, but amplified tenfold.

She pinpointed the exact location of what had to be another spiritual beast. It was a few meters to her left, right next to a tree. After that she closed off her connection to the earth once more. It was giving her a terribly annoying headache, which was not helping her think of ways to solve this without burning down half the forest and killing Sekron in the process.

Sekron only seemed to notice something was wrong when she pulled her pataka off her back, moving almost casually, and pushed him gently behind her.

"What's wrong?"

Kagura ignored him. She considered her options for magic. Earth was, once again, an inferior choice, as without connecting to the ground underneath her the spells in that tree were woefully inaccurate and lacked force behind them. The headache she got when she was one with the ground and a spiritual beast was near was definitely not worth it. Fire seemed like a pleasing choice – it had been so very dreadfully long since she had last gotten to burn something.

With that in mind, she flicked a red burning card at the spot she had sensed the beast at.

The spell made contact with something invisible and exploded into a fiery maelstrom. A harrowing roar broke the air when a large, white monkey appeared seemingly out of nowhere, fur now heavily scorched. It whirled its' head towards the pair, stalking forward on three paws, the fourth holding onto a barrel it carried on its' back.

Kagura took a step back on instinct, hand already pulling another card out of thin air. She had just enough time to throw it and jump out of the way before the beast pounced. It missed by a hair's breadth, claws groping empty air where Kagura had been a second ago. With the person it had been aiming for now out of its reach, it turned instead to the person closest to it.

Sekron paled when the monkey turned to him. Kagura swore, already on the move again, when the man pulled a long stick from his sleeve. He dropped it on the ground and jumped away, taking cover behind a tree. Kagura had just enough time to cover her face and summon a shield to protect her when the stick exploded into a maelstrom of flames. Through the heat and the noise, she could faintly hear the beast's roars die off along with the blaze.

The crystal on her belt glowed a faint white as it absorbed the essence of the monkey. Well, that makes it certain that it was, indeed, another of the beasts.

Kagura took the crystal off her belt and turned it this way and that, watching light flicker across the uneven surface of the gemstone. Within, the vague flapping of wings had been joined with ripples, as if someone had dropped a stone in a pond. The coloration was a decidedly lighter tone, having changed from red to orange.

Sekron came up next to her, also looking at the stone. He seemed almost mesmerized with the way the patterns played under its' surface, until Kagura snapped her palm closed and put the crystal in one of the pouches on her belt.

"That was the Drunk Monkey. I have no doubts about that. It's good we got to him here and now. I can't imagine the havoc he could have caused, running rampant like this."

He noticed Kagura's look of incredulity and tried to start explaining when the wizard chuckled softly, turning and starting again along the road.

"Drunk Monkey? A fitting name, that one."

Sekron blinked, surprised at what had amused the woman, before he hurried along behind her. It was a considerable distance yet to Lorreway, after all, and they couldn't afford to waste any more time.

* * *

Twilight shone through the palace windows. A heavy silence lay on the antechamber and small twinkling lights danced in sheaths of shadow. In the middle of all of that, a young female Tideborn stood and waited patiently.

She'd requested an audience with General Chugunov, concerning her desire to be sent to the mainland to join the battles against the Wraith armies. She'd been waiting for close to half an hour now, and it was making her nervous. She didn't wish to be in the palace for any longer than absolutely necessary. The whole place gave her the creeps, with it's size and absolute quiet, so different from her own home.

"Lady Hakumei of the Moontide family?"

The young woman's head snapped in the voice's direction, startled out of her uneasy thoughts. She quickly composed herself and followed the handmaiden into the throne room through a massive double-sided door.

The throne was empty today, as king Triton was on a visiting voyage to Dragonfang Village. General Chugunov stood in front of the steps leading to the throne, watching her approach with bright blue eyes. Hakumei moved across the massive room with quick steps, practiced over years of training. When she was a few metres from the General, she stopped and fell to one knee, forming a fist with her right hand and bringing it to her chest.

"Rise, daughter of Moontide. I was told you have business with me."

Hakumei stood, meeting Chugunov's eyes with a resolute look.

"Yes, General Chugunov. I wished to ask for your permission and blessing to join our warriors on the mainland in the fight against the Wraiths."

Chugunov frowned.

"I see your cause and I know it is just. However, I cannot grant you that right, assassin."

In the following silence, Hakumei found herself unable to speak. It took her a few moments to find the right words to say.

"Permission to speak freely?"

"Granted."

"Was my mother in any way involved in your decision?"

The General's silence was enough of an answer for her and she swore, her anger momentarily clouding her judgment.

"I understand your plight, but you will mind your tongue with me."

The General moved up the steps and motioned for Hakumei to follow.

"Assassins are gravely needed out on the battlefields, as you may well know."

They climbed up to the throne and turned to the right, going through a door and deeper into the palace. Hakumei didn't understand where the General was leading her, but when they entered a smaller room off the corridor they'd been following, she found herself in what she assumed was Chugunov's office.

"However, I'm afraid I must make an exception in your case."

Chugunov took a letter from the table. He looked at it for a few seconds and then offered it to Hakumei. The woman accepted it. She unfolded it to see a short message.

 _General Chugunov,_

 _My daughter is very determined to make a mark in the war on the mainland. I understand her desires, but the casualties in that war are much too high for me to allow her to go in good conscience. I hesitate to ask you this, but I must beg of you – do not allow my daughter to join the army. She is a bright and fast learner. You can give her a spot guarding the city, or send her to Dragonfang Village to learn more of the Assassin ways._

 _I know you'll do the right thing, for me and for the Tideborn._

 _Selene, head of the Moontide family and duchess of Galerider Plains._

Hakumei felt a strong urge to crumple up the letter. As it was, she merely took a heavy breath and handed the note back over to the General.

"I am sorry, lady Hakumei. I must agree with your mother in this case. The war is heavy with casualties, and if you were to die…"

* * *

The sun set over the City of Raging Tides, casting long, orange beams of light over the roofs of the houses in the outskirts. Hakumei looked at the beautiful scenery with nary a sensation. The sight had always filled her with awe, and not only because her mother, having been on an old legend binge when she was born, had named her after sunsets. But now?

 _"You are much too important to risk in battles, lady Hakumei. You understand, do you not?"_

 _Chugunov's tone was patient and he spoke as if she was a child still. It drove Hakumei up the wall, but she kept her face carefully neutral._

 _"Yes, General. I understand." And she certainly did._

She'd made her decision. Her bag was next to her, filled with necessary equipment for the trip she would undertake. Her daggers, sharpened and deadly, were on her belt, ready to be used.

She'd mulled this over countless times, running the scenario through her mind over and over. Her mother would find out in the morning. She'd first contact Chugunov, then send out search squads. They'd almost certainly check with the Teleport Master and then they'd comb over the shortest sea path to the mainland. Then they'd expand their search, looking through the Forbidden Sea and the neighbouring islands.

Whatever they did, she'd be long gone before the first search party entered the Forbidden Sea.

Hakumei stood, throwing one last look at the sunset, burning the sight into her mind. If she was right, then she wouldn't see her homeland for a long time to come, maybe even never again. With a determined nod, she swung her bag over her shoulder and descended the hill she was on.

Hakumei of Moontide was leaving to help the other races fight off the Wraiths. And the five elements be damned, she would not accept any other roads or options.

* * *

Welp. Here's a thing.

This is a story I've had rolling around in my head for a while now, and I wrote something. The first chapter, to be precise. I can't promise weekly uploads - life is much too hectic for that - but I can promise that I _will_ finish this story, life be damned and all that. Tell me what you think, give critiques (yes, even the flamey ones, I don't mind) and feel free to tell me if I made any spelling mistakes. I know they are in there, I just can't seem to find them. Shame.

Until next time, enjoy life :)


	2. Chapter 2

Lorreway didn't look too impressive. It was just a circular stone platform surrounded by a stone wall of the same shape. Kagura didn't even think that it really deserved the moniker of "city", but what did she know, eh?

What floated above Lorreway, however, was a different matter entirely.

The "city" was situated on the shore of what, to Kagura, seemed like a pond. To the inhabitants of the Celestial Vale, it was most certainly a lake. And high above the water floated a massive city.

Kagura realised she'd been staring for a while and closed her mouth, silently glaring at a snickering Sekron.

Yes, Perfect World had Heaven's Tear, a grand floating fortress. While an impressive sight in and of itself, it had never really felt like a necessity for Kagura. At most, it was used for commanding forces in larger wars, but Archosaur was the place to do that these days. For a religious centre, it was much too far from City of a Thousand Streams, and for an administrative centre, it had been out of the action for much too long. The territories of races were long since under independent control, with only the most insignificant and shallow rights given to the so-called holy city.

These days, it was popularly used as a neutral meeting place to sign pacts and treaties, and even that would have been done elsewhere if the state of alliances and rivalries hadn't muddled the political landscape so much so that no other strictly neutral ground could be found anymore.

All in all, it was a glorified rock in the sky with a significant past that had lived long past its glory days.

This city, however, was far from it.

Even as Kagura watched, people flitted to and fro from separate chunks of the floating city, flying on wings of feather and energy. Her eyes followed the tiny specks. Each one had a life, a history, a future. And none of them knew of the slow, darkening corruption seeping into their realm at this very moment.

Kagura blinked and shook her head. Old age is making you soft, dear. She tossed the thoughts aside.

"Right, we're here. What are we supposed to do now?"

Sekron, who was still obviously laughing, managed to conceal his mirth for long enough to point to Lorreway before having to grab onto a nearby branch to stop himself from falling over from laughter. Kagura made a displeased noise, fingertips rippling with tiny flames. She proceeded up the path with a still chuckling Sekron in tow.

Lorreway was, as she had predicted, boring. A moderate amount of people walked around inside the walls, most of them guards or priestesses. A few kids ran around, weaving through the feet of the adults in a complex game of tag. In his haste, one collided with Kagura, landing on the ground heavily. The wizard kneeled to help the boy up, but he had already stood and run off to rejoin the others.

"He'll be alright. A few minutes and it'll be like he never fell."

Kagura threw a glance at Sekron.

"The magic in this place is certainly strong enough to do that," she stated, eyes following the children. _Should they even be down here? Isn't it too dangerous?_

"Oh, you can feel that? Yes, we're blessed with a strong amount of background magic. I do not know what we would do without it."

Kagura tore her eyes from the playing youngsters. _I know what you'd do. And I would never wish that on anyone._

Determined to find the next spiritual beast, she pulled herself to her full height. While she knew the way she was acting was stupid and sentimental, she could not bring herself to forget the fact that unlike Perfect World, these people knew no war, no strife. They only knew peace and prosperity. Who was she to take all that away?

"Who do we need to talk to?"

Sekron, searching the crowd for a familiar face, pointed to a woman on the other side of the platform.

"There. Heartmark."

Weaving their way through the guards was an easy matter, with a minimal amount of glares and threatening hand flexes needed from Kagura. Heartmark turned to face them as they approached, deep blue eyes locking onto the scribe.

"Sekron. I was not aware of your arrival."

The man coughed, looking around them before answering.

"Yes, and there is a reason, believe it or not."

Heartmark raised an eyebrow.

"Do tell."

"The spiritual beasts have been corrupted."

For a few seconds, silence reigned over the group. Kagura observed Heartmark's face, noting that behind the emotionless mask the woman was deeply shocked. _To be expected, really._

 _Now, when are they going to let me simply go and beat the next beast's face in with Silence of Frost?_

"Are you sure? If that is the case, then there are things I need of you…"

 _Ah. Longwinded expositional stories first. I see._

Determined to simply get to the root of the problem, Kagura spoke up.

"Look, I can track the beasts. Give me five minutes and we'll be out of your hair, spiritual beast and all."

Heartmark did not look convinced. At all. Kagura bristled at her expression.

 _Oh, no, by all means. Go do it yourself. Better still, send us on a bunch of pointless fetch quests so that the beast can grow even stronger. Great fucking idea._

Sekron started an argument with the woman, most likely bringing up some pretty decent points, but Kagura tuned both of them out. She opened her connection to the earth, ignoring the stabbing headache it brought on, and pinpointed the location of the disturbance she felt. Then, it was a simple matter to simply twist the leylines.

In a flurry of earth and rocks, Kagura vanished from Lorreway and reappeared on the shore of the lake they'd walked by earlier.

With her new sense of direction, she was easily able to find the spiritual beast. Although frankly, the giant undine in the middle of the lake should really have caught her attention when they were travelling to Lorreway.

She stood in place, contemplating her angle of approach. She was most definitely not going for a swim, and neither was she flying, which crossed out her two only ways to get close to the watery monster. The third option, though…

Kagura threw a contemplative glance at the nearest stone pillars.

Water and fire did not mix well, as flinging fire at an enemy of the water element mostly only resulted in them growing slightly irritated. Kagura did not doubt that she could kill any water-aligned foe with her fire spells, but she really didn't have half an hour to waste on flinging Pyrograms at the fish in the middle of the lake. Water had the annoying propensity to often strengthen enemies of its own element, so she discarded that idea just as quickly.

While all that meant that a lot of Kagura's spells were next to useless, that only accounted to two thirds of what she could really do. And the remaining third…

The spiritual beast splashed around in the clear water, sun shimmering on blue scales. It then promptly got an entire stone pillar between its shoulder blades.

The crystal shimmering blue on Kagura's belt told her of the death of the undine, although she honestly doubted it would have survived a Mountain's Seize either way. As far as she was able to tell, the creatures in this realm were largely not all that strong.

 _Great news! The spiritual beast is dead, and to top it all off, you now have a new island in the middle of your body of water. Everyone's happy._

Shocked gasps from Lorreway behind her alerted her of her spectators. Kagura turned, sarcastic quip already on her tongue, where it also immediately died.

The entire Chaos-damned city was standing at the gate, staring at her as though she was Pan Gu himself.

The wizard ran her eyes over the gathered mass of people, thoughts kicking into high gear. How long had they been there? What did they think at this very moment? What, in the name of all five elements, was she going to do?

 _Wing it._

Kagura smiled widely, waving at the people.

"So… I decided to redecorate! Enjoy the island, folks, lovely to meet you all, but I'm afraid we're rather busy this week, so if you'll excuse us…"

With long, swift steps, she walked over to Sekron and past him, pulling him along by one of his ridiculously long sleeves. She managed to make it out of the city and halfway to the wooded area beyond before Sekron stopped her.

"The five minutes thing wasn't just for show, then?" Sekron asked with a nervous laugh, pulling his sleeve out of Kagura's hand and smoothing out his robe. Kagura frowned.

"You hired me for one thing – kill the spiritual beasts. I can do my job much more effectively and quickly if there's no annoying discussion before it about things we definitely need to do before."

"Heartmark is going to be as angry as a Cragglord. You know that, right?"

"A Cragglord?"

"You don't- ah, never mind. Let's just say that she's going to be very upset."

Kagura considered probing him for more information, but decided against it. She'd either encounter this creature herself or learn about it some other way. Instead, she shrugged in utter indifference.

"Then let her be. I just stopped what was _apparently_ a _very dangerous_ creature."

"Hey, for us it is! Not all of us can pick up a bloody mountain and throw it around like it's a tiny pebble!"

Kagura snickered and continued up the path into the trees, a fuming Sekron close behind.

* * *

The sun gleamed over Archosaur, lighting the giant statues in the centre of the city in warmly glittering tones. The sky was clear without a cloud in sight, and even the ever-present wraiths had retreated for the moment.

Dionne allowed herself a few more moments to admire the scenery. Then she turned, watching her troops organise themselves into a proper formation.

The journey, while not exceedingly long, had still taken a toll on them all. The islands of the Tideborn were quite a lot richer in aerial moisture, so the relatively dryer climate of the mainland had facilitated quite a few stops along the way for some needed swims. Even now, she caught some of the soldiers wincing occasionally, glaring at the sun above them.

Still, the journey was done. And now she and those chosen to follow her had arrived in Archosaur, ready to join the war.

Their force was not big. Fifty hand-picked men and women including her evenly split into psychics and assassins. More than enough when compared to the forces of humans or elves, as their elders had decreed. Personally, Dionne was less than convinced, but it was not her right or place to question her orders.

With a motion of her hand, all of the other Tideborn fell into step behind her. They entered Archosaur from its west gate. Dionne nodded politely to the guards posted there and got friendly smiles in return. It surprised her. Most humans she'd met had regarded herself and her companions with suspicion and even outright hostility. This change in behaviour was refreshing.

Beyond the gate, Dionne found a bustling marketplace. She watched the crowd, surprised at how many people there were. Humans and Elves of all ages moved around in their daily routines, selling, buying, chatting and playing. She even spied a few of the animalistic Untamed. Her companions seemed equally amazed, if the whispers she could hear from behind her were any indication. Truly, she had not seen such a crowd in a very long time, not even in the City of Raging Tides.

Dionne led her followers through the people and the commotion. At their passing, everyone went silent, eyeing them with something akin to awe. Dionne decided to pay them no mind.

They had to go through another gate in the city walls to get to where their ultimate goal was. As she had been told, all incoming forces had to report to Lieutenant Li to get stationed in and around Archosaur. That also included them. That was why they were currently marching up the stone slope leading to the central command buildings.

Finding Lieutenant Li was simple. A man who matched his description in the first room they entered inside the central building, speaking to a number of the city guard. As the Tideborn drew closer, he dismissed the men and devoted his full attention to them.

"Lieutenant Li?"

"Yes, that's my name. You must be the Tideborn forces, correct?"

Dionne nodded.

"Aren't there a bit too few of you, though?"

"With our recent freeing, we still have many issues to deal with on our islands. For now, we are all we could spare. However, I can assure you that we are very much so enough," Dionne explained patiently. Li ran his eyes over them one more time before shrugging and turning to a desk covered in maps and papers. He picked some up, humming thoughtfully.

"Well, we were expecting a few more, so I will have to distribute you a bit more sparsely than I'd originally wanted to. Far as I was told, you have assassins and psychics, right?"

At Dionne's nod, he continued. "Run me over what they can do as a refresher."

Before Dionne could say anything, however, one of the sliding doors that led deeper into the building opened. A tall, bulky man stepped through, red ponytail waving behind him. He stopped upon noticing the gathered Tideborn.

"Li, what are you doing?"

"Assigning the Tideborn forces their positions. Their leader was about to tell me what their skillsets are so I can better position them, sir."

"I see. Well, don't let me stop you."

Instead of leaving, the man settled in against the wall next to the door he'd entered from. Dionne looked him over, trying to place him as any of the faces in her memories. If Li was calling him sir, then it had to be…

General Summer. The leader of the combined forces of the three races - or four, with Dionne and her assigned warriors' arrival.

With that knowledge filed away for later review, Dionne gave the Lieutenant a quick overview of what assassins and psychics could do, with some examples shown by herself and an assassin from her group. When she was done, Li nodded thoughtfully.

"I think I understand. Thank you."

He went over to the table once again, this time beckoning over Dionne. She followed and took a good look at the map attached to the wooden surface of the desk.

"I think the best way to distribute your forces is to add your assassins to our scouting parties. They could add a lot more to the archers already assigned to that task. The psychics would be most useful in city defence."

Dionne followed the man's finger as it pointed to several different locations in and around Archosaur. She hummed, taking in the city layout.

"If anything, then I believe my assassins would be better off alone."

At Li's quizzical glance, she pointed to the city outskirts.

"They work the best when no one is holding them back. One assassin can easily sneak into the rear of the enemy's forces and collect intelligence with no one the wiser. I notice that hills and mountains seem to be where most of the wraiths are hiding. Assassins can take advantage of the terrain and cover much more ground than any of your scouts. Assigning archers with them would be detrimental, unless they can utilize stealth to the same degree as assassins can."

"I see." Li took another look at the map. "I will defer to your judgement on this, since you obviously know more of your own people than we do. Anything else?"

"Yes, there actually is. Two assassins will remain with me."

"Is it necessary?"

"It is traditional. I am their leader, and thus I am the only one who knows the exact mission our king gave us."

At that, Li seemed suspicious. "And that is?"

"Nothing you need to be worried about. Simply our orders and battle plans. Still, as a high-ranking official, I know some sensitive information, and thusly the guard is at least somewhat necessary."

Her explanation appeared to have the effect of calming Li down. The Lieutenant nodded, taking one last look at the map before straightening.

"Very well. I believe that is all, unless you have anything else to tell me?"

Dionne mulled it over.

"No, I believe that is everything. I shall leave my subordinates in your care, then."

General Summer had been watching them during their discussion. Now he pushed off the wall, eyes on Dionne.

"We'll have someone show you to your quarters. Oh, but we haven't yet been properly introduced, have we? You know my name. This here is General Summer, leader of the forces here in Archosaur."

The General smiled. "A pleasure."

Dionne bowed. "You can call me Dionne. May our cooperation bring favourable tides."

* * *

It was much later in the day when Dionne finally had her time for herself. Getting her warriors settled in had been much more of a hassle than she'd expected. Just making sure that they had enough water to bathe in twice a day had taken two hours of patient explanations and barely-veiled threats.

Now, standing in the quarters she had been provided, she couldn't help but marvel at the amount of lavish décor humans were capable of. What do they use all of this for?

The tents her troops had been assigned had been very simple and to the point. Dionne would have felt much more comfortable in them than in these rooms.

It was all burgundy decorated with gold. Even the bed had heavy drapes and plenty of pillows, with golden embroided patterns on every visible surface. She could tell even at a distance that it was not going to be comfortable to sleep on.

With a heavy sigh, she headed into the adjoining bathing room, noting with satisfaction that a pail of water stood on an end table. She took the chance to splash some water on her face and other exposed body parts. The cool water felt heavenly on her skin.

With that done, she headed out again, this time for the training grounds. Li had pulled her aside during one of her longer trips across the city to ask her to show his troops exactly what to expect when working with the Tideborn. Dionne had agreed, based on the fact that cooperation was vital in war. Not knowing the limits of your fellow soldier could mean someone's death.

The sun was nearing the horizon, bathing the city in an orange glow. The heat of the day had given way to the pleasant coolness of the evening. It made walking around in the city much more tolerable.

The training grounds were directly in front of the command centre, so that was where Dionne went. She took the long way around, making her way along the main street of Archosaur. On the way, one of the assassins under her care, Nerio, joined her. She'd chosen him earlier to demonstrate what assassins could do.

A large crowd greeted her when she arrived, gathered around the edges of the square that acted as the area for duelling. Most of them were guards from around the city or army soldiers, but she also spied the commanders of the Winged Elves and the Untamed, both of whom she recognised through the faces she had memorised. Beside them, General Summer and Lieutenant Li were also present.

She introduced herself and Nerio before explaining the basics of what they could do. She then asked Nerio to demonstrate his abilities. She heard surprised gasps when the assassin disappeared as if into thin air and again when he reappeared behind the crowd, casually leaning on one of the onlooker's shoulders. He also showed his skill with his daggers, effortlessly slicing a wooden training dummy in pieces in what looked like two hits, although in reality it was six. When he was done, Dionne retook the stage.

She began her demonstration by casting Aqua Impact at a training dummy. When the water haze cleared, the dummy was gone completely, with not even a splinter remaining. In detail, she explained the way psychics were able to manipulate the minds and instincts of their foes. She then asked for a volunteer from the crowd. After a great deal of encouragement, a young army recruit stepped forward. Dionne smiled reassuringly at him, raising her soulsphere. She cast a quick spell on herself and then faced the boy.

"Attack me, please."

The boy hesitated, looking around for assurance from his friends.

"I need you to trust me. Please, do as I ask."

After another second of unsure hesitation, the recruit unsheathed his sword. He took a half-hearted swing at Dionne. As soon as the blade connected with Dionne's arm, the boy dropped his weapon with a gasp of pain, cradling his side. Dionne was quick to grab his arm and send a soothing pulse of energy into his body.

"As you can see, psychics can also reflect the harm done on them to their enemies. Most of the time, we do not need outside assistance to survive. However, as our bodies are not very strong, it is better for us to have backup rather than not. For that reason, I would like you to take any chance you get to practice having psychics at your side. I believe that is a greater point of worry than your cooperation with assassins."

Dionne and Nerio took a bow.

"I thank you for your patience."

* * *

Dionne had just finished making sure that the young recruit, who had introduced himself to her as Girsan, was alright, when Lieutenant Li caught her attention.

"Thank you for the demonstration. It'll certainly be a lot of help in the coming days and weeks."

He waved off Girsan's salute, sending the young man back to his friends. Dionne caught some good-natured ribbing from their direction.

"Consider it nothing. I am here to help with any of the issues that may arise with my troops."

"Still, I feel that I need to… Ah, General."

General Summer was approaching them, gait certain and steady. He nodded at Li.

"Lieutenant. I simply wanted to ask some questions of Commander Dionne."

Li excused himself and the General turned to Dionne.

"General. What is it that you wish of me?"

"I simply wished to make sure that your lodgings are to your liking. Are you happy with your quarters?"

"Ah. Yes, they are rather… beautiful." Dionne kept her tone strictly neutral, but couldn't help the small pause that slipped into her sentence.

The General laughed, throwing his head back. Dionne raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, beautiful indeed. And nigh impossible to sleep in! I prefer a tent, if I am completely honest."

With a chuckle that surprised even Dionne herself, she nodded in agreement. General Summer looked pleased. He started down the ramp leading to the command centre, beckoning Dionne to join him.

"May I share a secret?"

At Dionne's nod, he continued.

"I find that it is a very easy matter to slip away and join your companions in their tents. I had an extra spot set up with them in case you wished to do so."

"That was… very thoughtful of you." Indeed it was. Almost too thoughtful where Dionne was considered, but she kept that to herself.

"Think nothing of it."

They walked through Archosaur towards the north district of the city, where the houses for the higher commanders were situated. Dionne found herself surprised by the General. He was definitely very different from the Tideborn leaders.

Of course, that was to be expected. He was a Human, after all.

Still, it was refreshing for her to see something different from the stiff politeness and rigid traditions of her own people.

Dionne swiftly buried that thought. It was not prudent to think that way. Their customs had gotten them through their years of imprisonment and would continue to guide them on the right path.

By the time they entered the western district, the sun had long since dipped under the city walls, with only a sliver visible over the horizon. Nearly all businesses had closed, with only a few people still closing up their shops. Lamps burned inside homes. The chatter of the day had quieted into soft murmurs as families had dinner in their houses and got ready for the night. At the same time, more and more guards came out to patrol the streets, preparing for the inevitable wraith attacks that occurred during the night.

As Dionne and Summer passed into the North City, two assassins materialised out of thin air on their sides. They took their places behind the pair, hands resting on the hilts of their daggers. Dionne nodded to them, adjusting her pace accordingly. The General raised an eyebrow at the assassins.

"Is this your guard, then?"

"Yes. Why do you ask?"

He shrugged and smiled.

"Even with the demonstrations you've organised, it is still hard to believe we have this big of an advantage over the Wraiths now."

Dionne shook her head slowly.

"While I agree that our assassins are a great boon on your armies, there are much too few of them here to properly boost your fighting capabilities to the level you might be expecting. I suggest keeping your head above the waves and using them wisely. I can, of course, give advice on that front."

"I suppose that is true. I'll have to send you to Li, then. I'm sure you two would have a field day."

Silence reigned between them for a few long minutes. It was General Summer who broke it.

"If you don't mind me asking, then why did your king send so few of you? Not that I doubt your abilities, of course."

Dionne took a few moments to think of her response.

"You know that we only just reappeared, correct? During the time we were gone, we did not simply lie in wait. To make a very long story short, we were fighting a war against an ancient foe of ours. We are still fighting their remnants. For that reason, we were not able to send more of our own to fight in this war."

Summer looked slightly displeased, but he did not question her further. For Dionne's part, she was almost disturbed by the ease at which the lie had slipped past her lips.

While technically true that the Nightspike still presented a threat, it was not one that needed all of the Tideborn's strength. She didn't know what king Triton or the elders wanted to achieve with their decision, but it didn't seem right to her. If anything, se felt it was wrong of them to do so. The Wraiths were perhaps an even greater threat than the Nightspike, and more than capable of getting to their islands if they so chose.

And yet she couldn't doubt her king. If she did so, then what would be left? The chain of command would collapse, fall apart and leave chaos in its stead. That would be catastrophic.

By the time they reached the buildings housing higher commanders, Summer's mood seemed to have improved again. He merrily wished her a good night and departed, leaving her with her two guards. She was about to dismiss them, intending to head back to her room, when she remembered what the General had told her. A smirk grew on her lips. Then, instead of entering the building, she turned on her heel and walked towards the area where her fellow Tideborn were situated.

* * *

Another chapter! Yes, it's late. Very late. But it's here nonetheless. I hope you enjoy reading it. See you next chapter :)


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